Bio
Karl Ahnee is a Mauritian artist and photographer with fifteen years' experience collaborating with editorial agencies, architects, construction, and engineering companies. Initially grounded in commercial photography, he has more recently become recognized for projects that bridge commissioned work and long-term documentary practice.
Winner of the 2024 Samudra Art Prize for "Behind the Noise"—a decade-long series reframing Mauritius’ landscapes through the structures of empty billboards—his work prompts reflection on how commercial messages disrupt and obscure the cultural and ecological character of the island scenery.
Alongside his art, Karl studies agroecology and natural building, a commitment that grew from documenting the fields of agriculture and architecture—two industries meant to meet humans’ basic needs of food and shelter, yet whose industrialization and globalization ironically threaten their own sustainability.
Rooted in both his Mauritian heritage and a wider view shaped by his mixed background, Karl’s multidisciplinary approach—photography, writing, and mixed media—interrogates the balance between human activity and fragile ecosystems, reflecting a growing belief that art can serve as both witness and activist for greater awareness and positive change.
Winning picture of Samudra Art Prize 2024 | Behind the Noise
Exhibitions
- Group exhibition (Mixed media) | Shay Hewett Gallery | Groundfloor, The Hybrid, Telfair, Moka | Dec.2024
- Group exhibition (Photography) | Samdudra Art Prize WILD | Caudan Art Center | Nov. 2024- Group exhibition (Mixed media) | Shay Hewett Gallery | Quartier des Serres, Labourdonnais | Dec.2023
- Group exhibition (Mixed media) | MEDIUM Collectif | In Situ, Tamrain | Nov. 2022
- Zom Res Zom (Street art photography) | MEDIUM Collectif | Rose-Hill, Port-Louis, Mahébourg, Grand Baie, Curepipe | Dec. 2021
- Group exhibition (Mixed media) | S'mall & Chic, Floréal | Nov. 2021
- Group exhibition at Vivéa, Moka (Mixed media) | Oct. 2021
- Group exhibition at La Galerie du Génie (Mixed media) | EDITH Port-Louis | Jan. 2021
- Wandering – Wondering (Fine art photography) | Two person exhibition at Imaaya Gallery, Phoenix | Apr. 2019
- Fragments #4 / Rose-Hill | Group Exhibition (Fine art photography) | IFM, Rose-hill | Nov. 2017
- Group exhibition (Fine art photography) | Contemporary Arts Indian Ocean (CAIO) | Dec. 2015
- Porlwi by Light (Mixed media - Installation) | Prison, Port Louis | Dec. 2015
- Expo 13, Group exhibition (Fine art photography) | Imaaya Gallery, Phoenix | Apr. 2015
- Group exhibition (Fine art photography) | Long Beach Resort, Belle Mare | Dec. 2014
- Écumes du ciel - Solo exhibition (Fine art photography) | Meltin' Potes, Moka | Aug. 2011
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